Quantity Surveying Degrees
Combining knowledge with practical skills, a degree in quantity surveying prepares you for a career in the construction industry. It is often a very hands-on course that mixes individual projects with group work.
The modern construction industry is currently facing up to the challenges presented by climate change, globalisation and increasingly demanding clients. A degree in quantity surveying highlights these problems, before arming you with the necessary skills needed to overcome them.
About Quantity Surveying
The course can be studied over three years full time, five years part time, or four years if you choose a sandwich program. Generally, the course will be taught by highly experienced staff who possess years of relevant industry experience.
At the end of the course, you will have grown your expertise in costing techniques, risk management, cost management, economics and build-ability. The program may also offer work placements (though this is dependent on the university), while site visits are made regularly.
Topics Covered
Both work-based and academic projects will be key parts of the degree.
The exact topics covered in a quantity surveying degree are dependent on the program offered by a particular university. A few topics you can expect to be covered include:
- Law
- Innovative Practice
- Consultancy Project
- Procurement
- Commercial Management
- Commercial Technology
- Economics
Placement students will also be offered an optional module.
In addition to the above, your workload will include essays, exams, portfolio work, as well as both individual and group presentations.
There will also be a final dissertation.
Entry Requirements
GCSE's at Grade 4 or over in Mathematics and English Language are generally mandatory. If you took an A/AS Level, 112 UCAS tariff points is usually the minimum that is required.
If you have a BTEC National Diploma, a university will often want a D*D* that is combined with at least three other qualifications so that you meet the minimum UCAS tariff of 112.
International students must be provide accredited evidence of strong English skills.
If you do not have any of the above qualifications, you will need to refer to your UCAS guide to see how you can make up the minimum required points.
Career Prospects
This type of degree offers you plenty of opportunities in growth areas, such as value engineering, business risk management, and management consultancy. Typical jobs that students land upon graduating include:
- Assistant Cost Consultant
- Quantity Surveyor
- Project Manager
- Trainee Estimator
- Commercial Manager
There is also the option of going onto postgraduate study, which you will be encouraged by your university to consider. There are a number of relevant Master’s programs that you can study after graduating with a degree in quantity surveying.
The course also equips you with important transferable skills that will prove useful over the course of your professional life, such as communication and teamwork skills.
